Towards Coherent Policies on Taiwan

Remarks by Hon. David Kilgour,
Member of Parliament for Edmonton - Mill Woods - Beaumont
228 Commemorative Service, Ottawa Public Library Auditorium, February 27, 2005

While in Taiwan recently with other Canadian MP’s from three major political parties, we soon learned about the incident we are commemorating today.
 
Yesterday, I typed “Taiwan + 228" into the Google search engine; the result was 753,000 hits. The taboo subject until the 1970's is clearly now in the open, especially since President Lee’s formal apology on behalf of the KMT government in 1995.
 
Taiwan has transformed itself from a subsistence economy to a flourishing powerhouse - per capita income went from about $150 to $15,000 in only five decades - and from a brutal military dictatorship to a multi-party democracy with the rule of law and an admirable human rights record.  It is an excellent living example for those who assert foolishly that such accomplishments are contrary to "Asian values."
 
It is worth recalling that soon after taking office as prime minister in 1968, Pierre Trudeau issued a statement which read in part, "Our aim will be to recognize the People's Republic of China government as soon as possible and to enable the government to occupy the seat of China in the UN, taking into account that there is a separate government in Taiwan."
 
Two years earlier, Paul Martin Sr. told the UN General Assembly that "Canada has never recommended a two-China policy. We have recommended a policy of 'One China, One Taiwan.'"
 
My suggestions for changes in Canada's policies towards Taiwan would include five initiatives:


(1) Canada should vote in favour of Observer Status for Taiwan at the WHO
 
                   Taiwan was recently allowed a seat on the WTO and is a full member of the Asian Development Bank and APEC.
                    In 2003, both Houses of the Canadian Parliament passed resolutions-by an  overwhelming majority in the House-calling on our government to support this goal. Bizarrely, a representative from our executive branch voted against Taiwan's WHO bid in May of 2004, while Japan and the US both voted in favour. The vote by Canada was an example of the continuing democratic deficit in our own country.


(2)  Canada should permit high-level visits from Taiwan
 
                    Canada and Taiwan are now both good practitioners of human rights, the rule of law and fair democratic elections. Thus, Canada should grant visas for unofficial visits to Canada by the President and other senior officials of Taiwan in part to recognize the burgeoning relationship of our two peoples.
                    Last August, all three opposition House Leaders jointly appealed to Foreign Minister Pettigrew to allow such visits.
                    Canada should also send high-level officials to Taiwan.


(3)   Canada should support increased security in East Asia intelligently
 
                     The People's Republic of China and Taiwan should both be urged to disarm, with China withdrawing all 707 of its missiles in the coastal provinces across the Taiwan Strait.

                    In order to maintain military balance in the region, Canada should urge the European Union (EU) Member States not to lift the embargo on arms sales to China.

Even the International Herald Tribune, now owned by The New York Times, which strenuously opposed the re-election of President Bush, yesterday argued that lifting “the arms embargo is a bad idea.” Its editorial made some other important points.

                    “For the United States - as well as Taiwan, South Korea and Japan - it (China) remains a potential military threat. Selling China weapons that might be used to shoot down United States aircraft assigned to defend Taiwan seems a terrible idea.”

                    “China also remains a serious human rights offender, which was the original motivation for the embargo, imposed over the killings in Tiananmen Square...To this day, China has not shown the slightest regret for those bloody events, nor has it given any guarantee that they will not happen again.

                    “ The dispute over the embargo has the potential for creating a new trans-Atlantic rift, as serious as the one created by the invasion of Iraq. Both Republican and Democratic legislators on Capital Hill have expressed strong objections to lifting the embargo, and some have threatened to limit sales of advanced technology to Europe unless Europe provides guarantees that it won’t be shared with China. 

                    Canada should speak out much more out more vigorously against China's so-called Anti-Secession Law, which is intended to incite Chinese nationalism against Taiwanese, intimidate Taiwan nationals and prevent them from exercising democratic rights freely. If passed, this legislation would unilaterally escalate tensions and threaten the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region, if not the entire world.


(4) Canada should apply visitor visa exemption for Taiwanese citizens
 
                    Currently, Taiwan is Canada's seventh largest source of foreign tourists.  The Taiwanese make over seven million overseas trips annually, and yet only 150,000 of them come to Canada each year. Taiwanese tourists have considerable purchasing power and are rarely involved in illegal immigration or criminal activities while abroad.
 
                    Citizens of South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong do not require visas to visit Canada.
                   Canadians have not required visas to visit Taiwan since 1995.


(5) Canada should negotiate an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters

                    The lack of formal diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Canada, and the former's special international circumstances prevent it from participating in international organizations, including the International Criminal Police (INTERPOL), and prevent effective legal assistance between Taiwan and Canada. Currently, the only cooperation between our two countries involves the notification of lost passports and exchanges of information on fugitive criminals.
                    A mutual legal assistance agreement between the US and Taiwan was formally signed in March of 2005, and has been working effectively since, although there is no diplomatic relationship between the two countries 
Taiwan is today a major democratic, rule of law, human rights and economic success story known across the world in terms of the measures and values that truly matter to most people everywhere today. Its peaceful evolution into a vibrant and thriving democratic society is not only significant to Taiwanese, but is key to the stability of the whole region.  It is a major contributor to peace and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.


For this reason, it is crucial that Canada continue to strengthen its relationship with Taiwan, rooted in our shared values of democracy, peace and respect for human rights.
 
 
David Kilgour was Secretary of State (Asia - Pacific) in 2002-2003.